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Care for an Elderly Adult in the Middle Stages of Parkinson’s Disease

Elder Care in Wayland MA

Parkinson's Disease Word CloudThroughout the United States there are approximately one million people who are currently living with Parkinson’s disease. Another 60,000 will receive a diagnosis of this disease this year. If you are a family caregiver for an elderly adult who is one of these, it is vital that you are prepared to give them the level of care that they need and deserve. This is a progressive disease, which means that your elderly parent will experience changing symptoms throughout their experience with the condition. The middle stages of PD, referred to as Stage Two and Stage Three, are when the symptoms become particularly noticeable and start to negatively impact your elderly parent’s function and quality of life. Caring for them at this point will become more pressing and they will require greater attention to manage their growing needs.

Use these tips to help you care for an elderly adult in the middle stages of Parkinson’s disease:

  • Reduce fall risk. During this stage of the disease, fall risk will increase dramatically. This can put your elderly parent in danger of serious injuries that can threaten their health and well-being. Go through their home and identify areas that might be dangerous and make meaningful modifications that can help to keep them safer.
  • Get them active. Keeping their body healthy and strong is important to preventing potentially serious injuries. It also helps them to keep control over their symptoms, such as tremors, and improve their gait to further prevent falls. Talk to their doctor about the types of exercises that are right for your loved one and encourage them to follow through with this routine every day.
  • Continue to offer support. This is the phase at which your parent will really notice the changes that are happening in their body and even their mind, and this can be extremely upsetting for them. Show them your love and compassion, and let them know that you are there for them throughout this entire experience. This will help them to feel more confident and give them more motivation to manage their condition.

If your aging parent is progressing through Parkinson’s disease, starting elder care for them can help them to experience the highest quality of life as they progress through their condition. The highly personalized services of a non-medical caregiver are not just beneficial to your aging parent as they deal with the PD symptoms that have already appeared or have worsened as they progressed from the early to moderate stages. Instead, having a non-medical caregiver with them enables your senior to feel more prepared for the journey ahead of them as they move forward into the later stages. This can mean helping them to adopt coping mechanisms to deal with their symptoms and potential future symptoms, identifying meaningful modifications that you can make to their home to make it safer, and supporting their ongoing activity and engagement so that they can continue to pursue a fulfilling lifestyle as they age in place. In the moderate stages of the disease your elderly loved one will experience more extensive symptoms that can be challenging to manage both for your parent and for you as their caregiver. Knowing that they have dedicated, respectful care can give you peace of mind that they are in good hands now and into the future.

Source
http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/10-early-warning-signs
 

Statistics on Parkinson’s Disease

If you or an aging loved one are considering non-medical in-home care in Metrowest Boston, MA, call Griswold Home Care and speak to one of our caring staff members today. Call (781) 559-0073

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